Foot-support.



A. E. BLOCK.

FOOT SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED Dic. 9. 1912.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

ALEXANDER E. BLOCK, LOUIS, MISSOURI.

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Lacasse.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

Application led December 9, 1912. Serial No. 735,803.

To all whom z' mag/concern.'

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. BLOCK,

`a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Foot-Supports, of whichl1 theA following isa specification. l

My invention relates to foot supports, and has for its ob]ect to provide a fixed or removable insole with elevating means for thev support or treatment-'of the heel, the longitudinal arches, or the posterior transverse a-rch, of the human foot.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the foot support of my presentinvention, portions being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken on the line Q--Q of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig.-5 is a similar view taken 'on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

While my invention may be practised by the attachment of the various-parts, illustratedin the drawings and to be described herein, upon a fixed insole, I have illustrated them in connection with a removable insole 1, upon thelower face of which the sheet 2 is secured by any desired means. To equip the support .with means for elevating the heel of thewearer at a point beneat the lower extremities of the heel bone (the tuberosities of ythe os oalcis)-I provide a heelbone-support A4, removably mounted in the pocket formed by the attachment of the flexible layer 3 (see Figs. 1, 2 vand k4). The size and relative dimension of the heel-bonesupport 4 have considerable latitude, dependent upon the size of the foot, and the object which is to be attained bythe use of said support 4. For example; in shoe manufacture that portion lof the insole whichl surmountsthe heel of the shoe is more or less concave, and mayor may not t the heel of the foot ofthe wearer. .When the heel bone of the wearer is inconvenienced by an excessive concavity of the'insole, my invention counteracts the concavity by building up the insole at thatpoint by means of the support. 4. Similarly, in the use of heel supports, extending across the width of the'insole, and' constructed of rubber, felt, cork,

curled hair of papier-mch, such supports in use pack down, and lose their resiliency, and are' decreased in thickness at their central point beneath the heel bone; and my invention is designed to counteract such depression and to renew the resiliency of said supports so impaired by wear, which it accomplishes by-the heel-bone-support 4.

In that form of my invention illustrated in the` drawings, a .layer of sheet material 5 is secured to the sheet 2 to form a pocket open at therear end of the insole, having A its front edge secured transversely across the insole, and its side edges secured for the 4front portions of their lengths at the outer margins of the insole 1; the pocket so formed being adapted to receive the insert 7, which will be of such varying thickness throughout'its width and length vas may be indicated by a diagnosis of the foot for whose treatment it is to be used. I have illustratd a like layer of sheet material 6, se-

f cured in like'manner to the sheet 2, to form a pocket for the reception of the insert 6, such pocket being longer than the one receiving the insert 7, the said pockets being superimposed, the longer overlapping the shorter. Said pockets are secured to the insole 1 by the transverse line of stitching 10 and marginal lines of stitching 11 and 12.

, The insert 8, as illustrated in the drawings, is ofl such length that'its front yportion may be used 'in the treatment of the posterior transverse arch'of the foot, and I have illustrated vin Fig.A 5, the manner in which its thickness may be made greater at one side or the other of its frontend, as the treatment of said transverse archV may require. e

The number ofthe pockets may be increased without departing from my invention, their 'number and length being determined by the particular abnormality of the foot which is to be treated; in cases where treatment is instituted when the foot is in l'swollen condition, the inserts will be lessened in number, or decreased in thickness as the swelling subsides. The heel-A bone-support 4 may be used inv connection with, or independently of any one or more of the other inserts above described. The pockets may be apertured to receive the inserts along any desired line ofA suliicient l claim as new and desire to have secured to me by the grant of Letters Patent, is#

l. Inra foot support the combination of an insole; a heel-bone-support; means for removably positioning said heel-bone-support relatively to the insole at a point beneath the heel bone of the wearer; a layer of sheet material secured to a face of the insole to form a pocket open at the rear end of the insole, having its side edges secured lfor a portion of their length at the outer margin of the insole; and an insert adapted to be mounted within said' pocket.

2. In a foot support, an insole; a heelbone-support; means for removably positioning said heel-bonesupport relatively to the insole at a point beneath the heel-bone of the wearer; a plurality of inserts; and a series of layers of sheet material secured to a face ot the insole and superimposed upon and overlapping" each other to form a series of pockets, and apertured at the rear of the insole to receive said inserts. i

3. In a foot support; an insole; a heelbone-support; means for removably positioning said heel-bone-support relatively to the insole at a point beneath the heel bone ofthe wearer; a plurality of inserts; and a series'of layers of sheet material secured to a face of the insole and superimposed upon and overlapping each other to form a series of pockets apertured to receive said inserts; said pockets being of various lengths and aaa-enea extending trom the rear margin of the insole to various points beneath and beyond the line of the transverse arch of the foot of the wearer.

Li. lin a foot support, an insole; a heelbone-support; means for securing said heelbone-support relatively to the insole at a point beneath the heel-bone of the wearer; a plurality of inserts; and a series of layers of sheet material secured tothe lower face of the insole and superimposed upon and overlapping each other to form a series of pockets of different lengths located in the heel of the insole and apertured to receive said inserts.

5. ln a foot support, an insole; a heelbone-support; means for securing said heelbone-support relatively to the insole at a point beneath the heeLbone of the wearer; a plurality of inserts; and a series ont layers of sheet material secured to the lower tace of the insole by one transverse land two marginal lines of stitching and superimposed.

upon and overlapping each other to form a 'series of pockets ot1A diierent lengths, apertured at the rear of the insole to receive said inserts. d In testimony whereof; il have signed my name to this specification; in presence ot two subscribing` witnessesc n ALEXANDER'E; BLCK. Witnesses N. E. Brocierran,y J. L. Hornrns.' 

